Sylvania



W. J. REGAN Mwah 8, 1932.

CAR COUPLER Filed Aug. 29, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 8, 1932.

W. J. REGAN Filed Aug. 29, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 76k mw m Patented Mar. v 3, 1932 f, siren srres PATENT OFFICE wILLrAi/r .'r. nneAN, or WrLxrNsBURe, rnNNsYrVANIn,y AssIeNon To THE rrccoNweY & ronLnY ooMrnNY, or rrrrsntrne'n, PENNSYLVANIA, A conroRA'rroN or PENN- SYLVANIA CAR COUPLER.

Application led August 29, 1928. Serial No. 3025869.

My invention relates to car couplers of the vertical plane type and particularly to those couplers in which the head is pivotally connected to the coupler stem. 5 The principal object of the'invention is to provide a construction wherein the coupler head and knuckle pivotally mounted thereon are of an especially rugged nature and eiliciently cooperate with each other and with the locking device by which uncoupling rotation of the knuckle is normally restrained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction permitting the knuckle locking pin to be inserted through the bottom kwall of the coupler head without the necessity of detaching the latter from the coupler stem to which it is pivoted.

A principal feature of the invention consists in forming the pivoted knuckle to the rear of the knuckle pin hole with top and bottom pulling lugs whose pulling surfaces are concentric with the knuckle pin, the counr pler head being provided withribs or lugs which cooperate with the pulling lugs of the knuckle and have curved pulling faces which likewise are concentric with the knuckle pin, the forward faces of the' lugs upon the coupler head forming a part of the face of the coupler between the top and bottom pivotlugs of the head between which the hub of the knuckle is embraced v 1 'A further feature of the'invention consists in extending the guard arm side of the body portion of the lock rearwardly of the knuckle engaging face of the lock thereby permitting the rear face of the lock body to be recessed so as to permit the lock to be assembled without disconnecting the head from the coupler stem, while at the saine time preserving a large bearing area between the locking pin body and the coupler head 0n the guard arm side.

Another feature of the invention consists in reinforcing the coupler wall against which s the locking pin body seats when the coupler is closed by a flange or rib extending between the top and bottom walls of the guard arm portion of the coupler head.

Other features of the invention pertaining to structural features and relations of parts will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims.

ln the drawings: y

Figure l is a horizontal central .section of a coupler embodying the invention, the coupler head being of the pivoted type, the knuckle and locking pin being shown in plan and the relation of the coupler` stem yto the lcoupler head being indicated by dot and dash ines.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line ,Q -2, Figure l.

Figure is a vertical central section, the knuckle and its locking pin being in elevation.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 4 4, Figure l. l

Figure 5 is a detail view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, of a portion of' the coupler head.

The type of coupler illustrated in the drawings is one in which the coupler head lis pivotally mounted upon a coupler stem 2 by means of a pivot pin which extends through the stem and through the pivot openings 3 with which the coupler is provided at its rear end. This is a well known form of construction and need not be further described.

Pivotally mounted upon the coupler head by means of a pin 4 is a knuckle 5 formed with a knuckle receiving yhub provided on its rear side with upper and lower flattened portions 6 which extend substantially transversely of the coupler head when the knuckle is closed. Spaced rearwardly from the hub of the knuckle and forming a part of the knuckle-tail are upper and lower pulling lugs 7 of? curved form, the pulling faces 8 of these lugs having their center of curvature at the center of knuckle pin 4. l

The hubof the knuckle and the pulling lugs .7 formed on the knuckle-tail cooperate with lugs9 upon the interior of the coupler head l. Each of these lugs is formed with a forward face providing a seat or bearing for the hub of the knuckle during a bulfing operation, the portions of said forward faces which are nearer the center of the coupler being flattened as indicated at 10 to cooperate with the correspondingly flattenedportions Y knuckle-tail.

.6 of the hub. These same lugs 9 also act as pulling lugs when the coupler issubjected to draft forces, the rear face 11 of each being curved concentric with the knuckle pin so as to cooperate with the correspondingly curved forward faces 8 of the pulling lugs-7 of the the coupler by being inserted through an opening 15 in the lower wall of the coupler head through which the leg 14 of the lockl extends, said opening extending transversely of thecoupler head so that a portion of it is beneath the tail of the knuckle. lVhen assembled, the lock 12 is supported in locked position by shelves or lugs 16 with which the coupler head isprovide'd towards the guard arm side; and it is guided in its locking. and unlocking movements by .extendingv into a recess 17 at the guard arm side of the'head and by cooperating with the lock engaging face v18 of the knuckle and the adjacent portion of a guide lug 19 formed upon the in-A terior of the coupler head.V

The side 20`of the lock body which bears against the coupler head on'the guard arm side 4extends rearwardly of the knuckle engaging face 21 of the lock, such construction enabling the rear face of the lock vbody to be curved or recessed, as indicated at 22, to provide clearance necessary to allow the locking pin to be inserted throughthe opening 15 in the bottom wall of the coupler head, while at the saine time insuring a large area of bearing coupler head. v Y j Onthe guard armside the coupler head is provided with a seat or abutment 23 for re-v ceiving the thrust ofthe face 20 ofthe lock y lbody when the coupler is locked and is subjected'tolpulling forces. The wall of the head forming the seat 23 is reinforced by averticalk rib orflange 24 extending the full distance.

between the top and bottom ,walls 25 and 26 from the guard arm and the lower end of the lock is then tilted toward the knuckle side of the head to permit the upper Aend of the lock body to pass under the lower` end of the lock guide lugA 19 on the interior of .the head.

The lock lbody is then raised to overlapping position with the guide' lug 19 andthe lower end of the lock body is seated upon the supporting lugs 16 of the coupler head. The knuckle opener is thenk placed in position and the knuckle is pivotally connected to the head, the lock being raised to unlocked position to permit the knuckle tail to enter the couplerlhead. A

I claim: v

1. A car coupler having a head, aknuckle pivotally mounted on the head, and a iock for the knuckle, said head having in its lower wall an opening to permit the introduction of the lock, said opening being wider than the lock transversely of the coupler, said lock having a face for engaging the knuckle and having its face toward theguard arm side of :the coupler" headyextended' rearwardlybeyond the said knuckle engaging face of the lock, the rear side of said lock being recessed, fr.

and said head being'provided toward its guard arm side with means for supporting the lock in locked position.

2. A car coupler havingV a head, a. knuckle pivotally mounted on the head, a coupler stem ce pivotallyconnected to the head and a lock for theknuckle, said head in advance of said stem having an opening in its lower wall permitting the introduction of the lock, said opening beink wider than the lock transversely of the coupler head, said lock having a face for engaging the knuckle and havinga bearing face toward the guard arm side of the coupler head extending rearwardly beyond Y said knuckle engaging faceV and the rearrface kof said lock being recessed. Y l

whereof I affix my signature.

l In testimony Y z WILLIAM REGAN..

As shown in the drawings the coupler'may, I 'i if desired, be provided with the well known form of pivote'd bellcrank knuckle opener 27-l which is adapted to be swung uponits pivot so as to forcethe knuckle to perform an uncoupling rotation. To actuatejthe knuckle opener the lock body is provided with a ledgel or shoulder 28 which engages the shorter arm ofthe knuckle opener when Vthe lock per-v ;forms an extendedunlocking movement.y In assembling the lock, which is done be-u 

